Germany

Cara Sophie Fellmann

Cara Sophie Fellmann | Photo: private

"Mennonites: Different. Believing. Brave." (2015)

In October 2016, twenty-four award winners from EUSTORY competitions met at a History Camp in Georgia. For this occasion they prepared posters about their projects and findings which were displayed in the National History Museum in Tbilisi.

My competition entry was about the Mennonites, a protestant free church, in southwest Germany. I asked myself three questions and tried to answer them: How did the Mennonite’s community develop? In what way are Mennonites different? How did my family discern and how did they handle their disparity?

How did you decide on your topic?The topic should have a relation to one’s family history or local history. I chose this topic because all my ancestors on my father’s side are Mennonites. So the topic is very personal and I could learn a lot about my own family history.

How did the research affect you personally?The whole process was emotional and enriching in many ways. Thanks to my research work, I gained a completely new view on my family and my ancestors. I am deeply impressed by their braveness and courage. Furthermore, I perceive otherness differently in general. Before the competition, it was natural for me that everybody can live its disparity. Now, I realized that it is not common and that we are privileged living in a society rich in diversity.